Nutrition: What to Feed Your Baby

My only complaint about vets is their severe lack of knowledge when it comes to nutrition. Doctors for humans can have a similar problem, though vets are much worse off. Nutrition is a topic glossed over in school, and thus never gets the attention it really deserves. Both human and dog nutritionists have my respect--it's a hard job, and often overlooked and thankless.

In light of this issue, I've been fortunate enough to find lots of good sources for dog nutrition information. Our dear friend, K, helped open us up to a world of dog foods we never knew existed when we got our first bully, Rosie. During our initial meet and greet rescue interview, they asked us what we intended to feed our new girl. We told them "whatever you suggest--you obviously know what you're doing". Luckily for us, they were foodwise and helped start us on a GREAT track, and many of the tips and tricks they taught us, we still employ today over 2 years and countless hours of research later. I have befriended a few veterinary nutritionists who have helped me to shape and mold our nutrition program, and coupled with my own research, I think we pretty much have it figured out.

This is what we feed our Saint Bernard each day (we feed twice a day, so halve the measurements for each meal):

4 cups dry Innova Large Breed Adult dog food (holistic, human grade dog food with no junk) *We just switched him to Innova Large Breed Senior dog food, and are in the process of determining how well he tolerates it, so a report will be posted on that shortly, after I've had some time to see how he does on the new food.

1 Tbsp. Nurpo supplement, silver label because it has additional joint support (regular joint support pills are fine, but often give dogs the runs. Trader Joe's has a joint support supplement for dogs, but it contains liver, something we don't often give the bulldog because of Angus' purine issues--organ meats are no-nos. Nupro has it built in, so it saves us a step, and some moola, which is always nice.)

1 Tbsp. plain low-fat yogurt (we buy a big container of generic brand at the store, but prefer organic when we can get it. yogurt keeps the digestive tract nice and healthy by promoting all that good bacteria)

1 vitamin E capsule (400 IU) daily (not twice a day. we get the big container at Costco--it lasts forever)

This is what we feed our English bulldog each day (we feed twice a day, so halve the measurements for each meal):

1 1/2 cups Innova Adult Reduced-Fat Dog Food (holistic, human grade dog food with no junk) *I don't recommend the reduced-fat version if your dog is at a healthy weight. Angus was on some different food blends that blew up him like a balloon over the past few months, due to his urate stone issues, so we are now trying to help him shed the excess weight he gained from the other foods. Ordinarily, I recommend Innova Adult dry dog food or Large Breed (for you big guys out there). There is a large bites and a small bites version of the regular Adult version, so be sure to pick the right size for your furball.

1 tsp. Solid Gold Seameal Supplement (Nupro was great before Angus was a stone former, but as it contains liver, Angus can't have it. Angus has to have foods that are lower in purines than red meat and organ meats.)

1 Tbsp. yogurt (see above)

1 Vitamin E capsule (see above)



Gordie can be particular about his food at times. He likes a little variety in his meals, which is both understandable, and quite frankly, recommended. Keeping their interest up is always a good thing. We like to add a spoonful of one of Merrick's canned foods. Merrick's has a lunch box multi-pack that is a family favorite. It comes with 7 different canned options, plus a mystery can. All the blends are healthy (though, I don't like to rely on canned food on a regular basis--too expensive for not enough nutritional value). Every few days, we open a new can and surprise Gordie with a new flavor. The only thing he won't eat are the peas in some of the blends. He licks them clean and leaves them in the bowl for us. As for Angus (and Gordie to a lesser extent), we add things like ripe bananas (peel it and mash it), shredded cheese, cottage cheese, or cooked apples (I just cook down some Macintosh with cinnamon, like my Aunt Eileen's Oktoberfest Applesauce recipe which I'll share someday).

Innova may not be the answer for your dog. I'm sorry, if it isn't, because it truly is my favorite of all the dog foods. Do keep in mind, when looking at dog food prices, Innova may cost $40-50 for a 30-33 pound bag, but you typically have it last twice as long as the same size bag of junkier food for $20-30, so you actually end up breaking even. You have to feed much much less Innova food to the amount of a junkier food to match the nutrients. It costs more up front, but you go to the store less, the vet bills are less, and your dog is immensely healthy. You can't beat that. Angus would be dead today if he had not been on Innova and Nupro before he has his bowel obstruction last summer. The surgeon told us so. And he's not the kind of dude who says things like that lightly. In the least. He's the most serious man I have ever met.

That being said, there are a few other human grade brands that I suggest for those who can't use Innova or are looking for a grainless option (Innova's EVO is a great option!), which include:

Wellness and Wellness CORE (though, I have found Wellness to produce a CRAPLOAD more poops, pun intended. Seriously, a lot more poop.)
Solid Gold Barking at the Moon
California Natural *
Orijen
EVO
Artemis Maximal Dog
Taste of the Wild
Horizon Legacy
Instinct
Go Natural
Blue Wilderness
Canidae
Fromm's
Merrick's
Life's Abundance
Timberwolf Organics
Acana

Watch with grain-free or low-grain dog foods like Orijen and EVO and some of the others on this list. They are higher in protein and grainless, and thus you feed quite a bit less and exercise more to compensate. Grain-free foods are also not recommended for puppies. Adult doggies only, please.

I rely on www.dogfoodanalysis.com to give me good reviews on foods. I am really only a fan of the 5 and 6 star kibbles on a whole, but there are some others that fit special cases like if you just add a little extra protein on the side (we give our dogs eggs, chicken, and other protein sources in their meals to balance things out, but also to keep their interest in food up.)

I do not suggest relying on exclusively canned food for a dog's diet. It can be added for fun and interest, but I find that dental problems tend to be the downside for canned foods as a sole diet source. I like dry kibbles that you can add things to, such as spoonfuls of yummy canned varieties.

I fully believe the Nupro supplement is an essential part of a dog's diet. It does a wondrous amount of things to keep the inside and outside of your baby nice and healthy. Lots of weirdos give their dogs avocado for skin and coat. Nupro does it better, cheaper, and without risk of avocado poisoning. Plus, dogs like the taste. We mix in about a 1/2 cup tap water into each meal, as Nupro doubles as a gravy! Yum!

Always be sure to provide lots of fresh, clean water.